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A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover

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Good morning all.

Update will be a little later today to give me time to wake up. Depending on how the process goes we might even see two updates in one day again.

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Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Jan 1, 2021 at 3:10 AM, finished with 86 posts and 15 votes.
  • [X] Plan "Get in my Seal, said the Divine Herald to the Shoggoths."
    -[X] Lya maintains Concentration to keep her first Harmonic Chorus spell active on Viserys as a Swift Action, then casts another Encouraging Harmonic Chorus spell, this time on Aife, to raise her caster level and saving throw DC by +3 as a Standard Action. She uses her Battlemagic Perception spell to Counterspell enemy spellcasting as a Free Action, if necessary.
    -[X] Aife cancels her Moment of Greatness buff to enhance the +3 from Harmonic Chorus to +6 then a 26th level Reached Chained Sacramental Seal (DC 41 Will save to resist for primary target, DC 37 for secondary targets) spell while using a Wide Spell Metamagic Gem if she deems it necessary to affect all of the Shoggoths. She uses her Battlemagic Perception spell to Counterspell enemy spellcasting as a Free Action, if necessary.
    -[X] Any Shoggoths that escape Aife's spell are targeted by Qyburn and the Myrkdreki Twins with Enervation spells. Qyburn uses Alter Fortune to force one of the Shoggoths to re-roll if it manages to resist Aife's spell and the Twins use Wings of Cover to defend the group, if necessary.
    -[X] If one of the Shoggoths escape Aife's spell, Viserys casts Assay Spell Resistance followed by Blood Wish to target one of the Shoggoths with a 23rd level (27th to resist Dispelling, 33rd to overcome Spell Resistance) Ooze Puppet spell (DC 37 Fortitude save). If none escape, he uses the opportunity to quickly reapply his Battlemagic Perception spell, while using Wings of Cover to defend the group or Counterspelling using as an Immediate Action using his ring, if necessary. If Viserys uses Blood Wish, before moving on he uses a charge from his Orb of Mental Renewal to heal the Charisma damage.
    -[X] Richard remains vigilant and prepares to defend Viserys and the others from unexpected attacks.
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I just really hope you aren't writing these short posts either, DP.
You have the software - so do keep your hands as unused as possible, pls.
 
Winning Vote
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Jan 1, 2021 at 3:10 AM, finished with 86 posts and 15 votes.
  • [X] Plan "Get in my Seal, said the Divine Herald to the Shoggoths."
    -[X] Lya maintains Concentration to keep her first Harmonic Chorus spell active on Viserys as a Swift Action, then casts another Encouraging Harmonic Chorus spell, this time on Aife, to raise her caster level and saving throw DC by +3 as a Standard Action. She uses her Battlemagic Perception spell to Counterspell enemy spellcasting as a Free Action, if necessary.
    -[X] Aife cancels her Moment of Greatness buff to enhance the +3 from Harmonic Chorus to +6 then a 26th level Reached Chained Sacramental Seal (DC 41 Will save to resist for primary target, DC 37 for secondary targets) spell while using a Wide Spell Metamagic Gem if she deems it necessary to affect all of the Shoggoths. She uses her Battlemagic Perception spell to Counterspell enemy spellcasting as a Free Action, if necessary.
    -[X] Any Shoggoths that escape Aife's spell are targeted by Qyburn and the Myrkdreki Twins with Enervation spells. Qyburn uses Alter Fortune to force one of the Shoggoths to re-roll if it manages to resist Aife's spell and the Twins use Wings of Cover to defend the group, if necessary.
    -[X] If one of the Shoggoths escape Aife's spell, Viserys casts Assay Spell Resistance followed by Blood Wish to target one of the Shoggoths with a 23rd level (27th to resist Dispelling, 33rd to overcome Spell Resistance) Ooze Puppet spell (DC 37 Fortitude save). If none escape, he uses the opportunity to quickly reapply his Battlemagic Perception spell, while using Wings of Cover to defend the group or Counterspelling using as an Immediate Action using his ring, if necessary. If Viserys uses Blood Wish, before moving on he uses a charge from his Orb of Mental Renewal to heal the Charisma damage.
    -[X] Richard remains vigilant and prepares to defend Viserys and the others from unexpected attacks.
Click to expand...
 
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Part MMMDCLXXXXIX: Paths Divided
  • Threadmarks
    • Paths Divided ​

    Twentieth Day of the Fourth Month 294 AC

    Lya's voice redoubles into another arcane chorus, a blessing for the divine herald, even as the power of the first remains upon you. For one blinding moment the poisoned night of the cavern is replaced with the mingled greens, blues and gold of dawn upon the sea, Aife's form arching through the air to dance with devotion and deadly purpose. A mortal adept might have needed some sign or seal, some vessel to hold their god's will, not so the Herald of the Ferryman.

    Six threads of light uncoil from her mane and glide each upon a different foe, such thin bindings for whole mountains off eldritch flesh and mad eyes. Three find their mark from the first, three cast astray by lying darkness' grip. No, only two, you realize. In this strange murk you can almost see the unnatural patterns of Qyburn's magic sway the threads of fate. No doubt a first for the Merling King's servant, but a welcome one from the appreciative look in her sea-green eyes.

    Fortunately, there is more than one way to bind the foe. Blood seeps from your palm, it burns to nothing before it can strike the ground. As one of the shoggoths start crawling up the wall into some crack or crevice you do not reach for its mind, having no taste for madness, instead you grip it in an all-encompassing net of unseen power. It is not so difficult a thing to give form to the formless.

    The last of the horrors, seeing itself outmatched, gives a long cacophonous keening and vanishes from sight, called forth by some unseen master.

    "How considerate to give us all these samples and test subjects," Qyburn speaks aloud for once in his excitement, though there is wariness there as well. Even he, or perhaps especially he, is not at ease in this place.

    "Let's make sure we don't end up their samples and bloody test subjects first," Ser Richard says gruffly. "Which way down from here?"

    "Wait," Lya says while looking suspiciously at the last monster, its hate filled eyes reflected and warped in the sapphire atop her staff. "Why did this one try to flee through the wall when it could just vanish or be called elsewhere?"

    "Maybe whatever saved the other one wasn't ready yet," you posit, not wanting to divest yourself of such a potentially useful and expendable scout.

    "I could control it more thoroughly," Qyburn offers as a bloodmold half-crawls half-scuttles from somewhere inside his robe. "Even work some simple alterations..."

    Ser Richard gives the former maester what might for another have been a long-suffering look, but for the knight it is merely somewhat flat. "I don't trust it."

    Before the flesh-smith can answer, Aife lands beside him with barely a sound on padded feet and offers unexpected support: "These creatures belong here, if they can be said to belong anywhere within the Spheres. It is their sea, so let them swim in it to our gain."

    Alas, you do not have as much time as you might hope for at that very moment the stone above begins to crack and heave, great chunks of basalt raining down like knives hurled by an angry giant. When the tremors stop the way forward is clear as day, a gap wide enough to fit a dragon... or a shoggoth continuing upwards at an angle. But that is hardly the strange thing about it, you smell salt and sea, the true sea, not this mad alchemist's admixture of elements and faintly, ever so faintly, you hear the sound of distant chanting.

    "Well, if that's not a trap I'll eat my shield raw," Ser Richard says, glancing up at the path.

    You tap the Staff of the Old Gods to the stone and call to the despairing spirits of Old Wyk, a question, a call for guidance. The answer you receive is muddled, perhaps by distance, perhaps by genuine confusion. The answers you seek, the doom you wish to avert, lies both upon the strange path and down through the cold stone and the grinding ages.

    Where do you go?

    [] Up on the path to the sea and indistinct chanting

    [] Down through the stone (requires burrow or earth glide)

    Do you have Qyburn use the shoggoth?

    [] Yes
    -[] Write in how

    [] No, let Aife bind it too

    OOC: This update fought me some, a lot of things the text-to-speech program did not know how to write out so I had to type. Still, only about 10% by volume of words.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Ooofff, maybe make a Google docs and let the betas fill in the words over a discord call. I would be very willing to volunteer if need be. It wouldn't be a hard task.
     
    Acolyte said:
    Ooofff, maybe make a Google docs and let the betas fill in the words over a discord call. I would be very willing to volunteer if need be. It wouldn't be a hard task.
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    Seconded.
    This is coming real close to the "if ya keep writing I leave"-clause, @DragonParadox.
    Please try and find an alternative to writing yourself.
    I recon you exercise enough by having to roll through stuff alone.
     
    Acolyte said:
    Ooofff, maybe make a Google docs and let the betas fill in the words over a discord call. I would be very willing to volunteer if need be. It wouldn't be a hard task.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    It's not so much stuff to fill in, that's all C&P, easy. It's when the program does not get the context of a phrase and just spits out something about flashes, phones and similar. Enunciating one word at a time gets me past most such instance, but not all.
     
    Fair enough but if you need help don't hesitate to ask for it. This quest has entertained me for years and I would like to help you in return.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Paths Divided ​

    Twentieth Day of the Fourth Month 294 AC

    Lya's voice redoubles into another arcane chorus, a blessing for the divine herald, even as the power of the first remains upon you. For one blinding moment the poisoned night of the cavern is replaced with the mingled greens, blues, and gold of dawn upon the sea, Aife's form arching through the air to dance with devotion and deadly purpose. A mortal adept might have needed some sign or seal, some vessel to hold her god's will, not so the Herald of the Ferryman.

    Six threads of light uncoil from her mane and glide each upon a different foe, such thin bindings for whole mountains off eldritch flesh and mad eyes. Three find their mark from the first, three cast astray by lying darkness' grip. No, only two, you realize. In this strange murk you can almost see the unnatural patterns of Qyburn's magic sway the threads of fate. No doubt a first for the Merling King's servant, but a welcome one from the appreciative look in her sea-green eyes.

    Fortunately, there is more than one way to bind the foe. Blood seeps from your palm, it burns to nothing before it can strike the ground. As one of the shoggoths start crawling up the wall into some crack or crevice, you do not reach for its mind, having no taste for madness, instead you grip it in an all-encompassing net of unseen power. It is not so difficult a thing to give form to the formless.

    The last of the horrors, seeing itself outmatched gives a long cacophonous keening and vanishes from sight, called forth by some unseen master.

    "How considerate to give us all these samples and test subjects," Qyburn speaks aloud for once in his excitement, though there is wariness there as well. Even he, or perhaps especially he, is not at ease in this place.

    "Let's make sure we don't end up their samples and bloody test subjects first," Ser Richard says gruffly. " Which way down from here?"

    "Wait," Lya says looking suspiciously at the last monster, its hate filled eyes reflected and warped in the sapphire atop her staff. "Why did this one try to flee through the wall when it could just vanish or be called elsewhere?"

    "Maybe whatever saved the other one wasn't ready yet," you posit, not wanting to divest yourself of such a potentially useful and expendable scout.

    "I could control it more thoroughly," Qyburn offers, as a bloodmold half-crawls- half-scuttles from somewhere inside his robe. "Even work some simple alterations..."

    Ser Richard gives the former maester what might for another have been a long-suffering look, but for the knight it is merely somewhat flat. "I don't trust it."

    Before the flesh-smith can answer, Aife lands beside him with barely a sound on padded feet and offers unexpected support: "These creatures belong here, if they can be said to belong anywhere within the Spheres. It is their sea, so let them swim in it to our gain."

    Alas, you do not have as much time as you might hope for at that very moment the stone above begins to crack and heave, great chunks of basalt raining down like knives hurled by an angry giant. When the tremors had stopped the way forward is clear as day, a gap wide enough to fit a dragon... or a shoggoth continuing upwards at an angle. But that is hardly the strange thing about it, you smell salt and sea, the true sea, not this mad alchemist's admixture of elements and faintly, ever so faintly, you hear the sound of distant chanting.

    "Well if that's not a trap, I'll eat my shield raw," Ser Richard says, glancing up at the path.

    You tap the Staff of the Old Gods to the stone and call to the despairing spirits of Old Wyk, a question, a call for guidance. The answer you receive is muddled, perhaps by distance, perhaps by genuine confusion. The answers you seek, the doom you wish to avert, lies both upon the strange path and down through the cold stone and the grinding ages.

    Where do you go?

    [] Up on the path to the sea and indistinct chanting

    [] Down through the stone (requires burrow or earth glide)

    Do you have Qyburn use the shoggoth?

    [] Yes
    -[] Write in how

    [] No, let Aife bind it too

    OOC: This update fought me some, a lot of things the text to speech did not know to write out so I had to type. Still only about 10% by volume of words. Not yet edited.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.

    The number of captured Shoggoths was off by one, so I fixed that. We started with six and ended with one escaping and one captured by the Ooze Puppet spell, so Aife had to capture four rather than three.

    Basically, changed this:
    Six threads of light uncoil from her mane and glide each upon a different foe, such thin bindings for whole mountains of eldritch flesh and mad eyes. Two find their mark from the first, four cast astray by lying darkness' grip. No, only three, you realize. In is this strange murk you can almost see the unnatural patterns of Qyburn's magic sway the threads of fate. No doubt a first for the Merling King's servants, but a welcome one from the appreciative look in her sea-green eyes.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    To this (changes highlighted):
    Six threads of light uncoil from her mane and glide each upon a different foe, such thin bindings for whole mountains of eldritch flesh and mad eyes. Three find their mark from the first, three cast astray by lying darkness' grip. No, only two, you realize. In this strange murk you can almost see the unnatural patterns of Qyburn's magic sway the threads of fate. No doubt a first for the Merling King's servant, but a welcome one from the appreciative look in her sea-green eyes.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Eh, writing 70 odd words over span of more than an hour isn't that bad. Compare it to the 2000 plus words I would normally get out.
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    Yeah, that's a huge improvement and hopefully one which will give your hands the rest they need.

    70 or so words over the course of an hour is practically nothing.
     
    I agree with Richard, the upper path is probably a trap. It's going to be costly in high level spells to keep moving downward, but hopefully we'll get to where we need to go soon enough.

    @Azel, I included your idea of using Qyburn's Mold Familiar piloting the Shoggoth to allow for some temporary improvements to it. Rather than having him waste a bunch of Power Points using augmented Ego Whips to reduce its Charisma to 0, I've got Viserys doing that with a boosted Feeblemind. That way Qyburn can hit it with a basic Ego Whip and knock it out for just 2 PP.

    [X] Down through the stone
    -[X] Lya will continue to maintain her Harmonic Chorus spells on Aife and Viserys while Viserys casts another Moment of Greatness spell on the group. He then cancels his Moment of Greatness buff while targeting the Shoggoth with Greater Shadow Enchantment to duplicate a Feeblemind spell (DC 37 Will save, reduces INT and CHA to 1).
    -[X] Qyburn uses Ego Whip for 2 Power Points to further reduce the Shoggoth's Charisma to 0, rendering it comatose so that his Blood Clot Mold familiar can infest it unopposed. Once the Mold is comfortably situated within its new mount, Qyburn will use Major Metamorphosis and 12 Power Points to make the following temporary adjustments to the Shoggoth: Grant a Burrow speed of 60ft, increase ground speed by +10ft, add +2d6 Acid damage to its Natural Attacks along with poison (DC 26 Fort save to avoid 1 CON damage), while growing it to Gargantuan-size.
    --[X] The Shoggoth will act as a scout and an expendable combatant as we continue, the massive tunnel formed by its passage serving as our path deeper into the earth.
    -[X] Aife casts a Celestial Brilliance spell to provide light as we travel down the Shoggoth's tunnel.
     
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